Teachley: Subtractimals
By Debbie Gorrell,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Cute characters help kids with fundamental math skills.
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Teachley: Subtractimals
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What’s It About?
In TEACHLEY: SUBTRACTIMALS, kids complete subtraction problems, earning blocks along the way. Kids begin with the tool round: They are given a subtraction sentence to complete and can choose to Count Back, Count On, or use Memory mode. Count Back and Count On show frogs either licking up or spitting out blocks to help kids visualize the answer. When they figure it out, kids tap it and drag it to the correct answer on a number line. Each answer results in a block; the blocks vary in color according to correctness and number of attempts. After the tool round, kids move to the speed round, where they quickly complete subtraction sentences and earn more blocks; if they're stumped, they get hints. Progress is saved on kids' individual accounts, so parents can keep track of which subtraction facts kids have memorized and which still need work.
Is It Any Good?
Although some of its touch features may cause a bit of frustration, this math tool is an excellent and comprehensive way for kids to learn and practice subtraction. Kids have the opportunity to visualize and develop an understanding of subtraction through the use of models, which is a much deeper approach than simply using memorization. Kids will enjoy earning blocks and revealing the mysterious illustration, with the speed round being particularly engaging as kids race to beat the clock. The interactive number line is useful for visualization, but it's sometimes difficult to tap the correct answer, so kids may get it wrong even if they know the correct answer. Also, the narrative about Professor Possum isn't apparent in the actual app; there doesn't seem to be a unifying narrative at all. In terms of the practice itself, however, having multiple approaches to each problem help kids access math concepts in several ways.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the importance of subtraction in everyday life. For example, if you have three dollars saved and buy something that costs two dollars, how much will you have left?
Give kids pencil-and-paper problems to solve and let them use their own strategies to solve them. Include problems that relate subtraction to addition, such as "6 - 2 = ?" and "2 + ? = 6." Talk about which strategies helped kids the most and why.
App Details
- Device: iPad
- Subjects: Math : subtraction
- Skills: Thinking & Reasoning : memorization, part-whole relationships, Self-Direction : academic development
- Pricing structure: Paid
- Release date: September 21, 2015
- Category: Education
- Publisher: Teachley
- Version: 1.2
- Minimum software requirements: iOS 6.0 or later
- Last updated: March 29, 2021
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